Kenyans Faking Abductions To Go Into Hiding With Their Lovers: DCI

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has accused Kenyans of using abductions to hide their relationships while expressing its concern regarding the fabrication of missing person reports filed at police stations nationwide at an increasing rate.

In a statement on Thursday, April 10, the DCI discovered that some of these reports, upon thorough investigation, have been revealed to be fabricated claims rather than genuine cases of missing persons, indicating a concerning trend of conspiracy.

Their statement simply insinuates that some of these so-called "missing" people were never actually missing — they just made up stories, which points to a bigger issue of planned deception.

To prove this finding, the investigative agency shared a case study of how a woman reported that her nephew went missing on April 3, 2025, only for the nephew to resurface and claim that he was kidnapped. But...

"Rashid reappeared on April 9, 2025, claiming he had been abducted by two men and held against his will. Upon investigative interviewing, detectives uncovered the truth: Rashid had actually eloped with his girlfriend, whom his uncle is not happy with him marrying," stated the DCI in part.

Another case on April 4 involved Nusu Roba Wako, who was reported missing. A special detective unit tracked her down with her boyfriend, Doyo Gufu. They were both found holed up together and taken to Lang’ata Police Station. Turns out, she’d ghosted everyone to be with him.

"A crack team of detectives smoked Wako out of her hideout with her boyfriend, Doyo Gufu, and were subsequently taken into custody at Lang’ata Police Station. Investigations have since revealed that Wako had also eloped with the boyfriend and gone incommunicado," added DCI.

The Mohamed Amin-led agency revealed that the fabricated missing persons cases turned out to be so credible that they have made headlines on media platforms, leading to rapid dissemination of information to the public to which the DCI deemed as fake.

In light of these incidents, members of the public are urged to refrain from filing false missing persons reports, as such actions divert attention and resources from real cases. "Individuals found perpetrating these hoaxes will face the full extent of the law," warned DCI.

Abductions have been a matter of massive national concern, with the recent cases targeting youths critical of the Kenya Kwanza government and its policies.

Recent statistics released by the  Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed that 83 young individuals were recently abducted, with 26 missing, deepening concerns over the erosion of human rights and the rule of law in Kenya.

DCI's statement today is not the first time they have highlighted cases of fake abductions. Back on September 30, 2024, the sleuths uncovered a case of three 17-year-olds who orchestrated a sham kidnapping in Kainginyo, Thimbiri location, before audaciously demanding Ksh6 million ransom from the "victims'" family.

In a classic case of misguided get-rich-quick mentality, the three, two males and a female, faked the kidnapping of the female, then called her parents with the demands lest their daughter disappear for good.

On receiving information of a missing child on September 24, officers at Meru Police Station geared up for a scrupulous manhunt within the locality, reassuring the distraught family whose negotiations with the kidnappers and frantic search for their kin had resulted in futility.

Joining in the investigation, Imenti North detectives uncovered a sinister plot. The supposed victim, Jane (not her real name), had conspired with the two male accomplices to stage her own kidnapping, aiming to extort the hefty sum from her own family.

Following a forensic trail, Jane and her accomplices were smoked out of their hideout in Kainginyo, where a discovery of 20 rolls of Marijuana was also made.